Forgetmenot
by Lunar Kitty
Summary: A reincarnated Hisana slight AU. What if Byakuya was just waiting on the other side of that invisible barrier between Soul Society and the Real World? ByaxHisa
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A different look on Byakuya and a reincarnated version of Hisana – one shot, I may continue it depending on what I think, and of course, what you think :P **

**Suggested listening: "Open Arms" by Journey**

**Forget-me-not **

Byakuya stood silently in the open window, wind forcing billowing sheer curtains to kiss his face, his hand shaking on the hilt of his zanpakutou.

There she was. Her black hair spilled across white sheets, the moonlight, unbarred by his invisible shadow spilling across her bare back, her soft alabaster skin in sharp contrast to the tan body of the man lying next to her.

He had silently watched her for twenty years, the gentle shadow herding the tiny girl when she walked alone at night, his lips the wind that kissed her cheek, his hand the shadow that slid down her bare arms, the fingers that slid into the hollow of her hand, her fingers clenching around them tightly, instinctively.

As if she knew he was there.

But she couldn't see him. That _man_ couldn't see him. She didn't even know he existed.

This Hisana wasn't his.

A soft sigh startled him from his reverie, her soft brown eyes opening drowsily, her bare skin flushing against the cold as she shivered, reaching for the throw at the end of the bed, her feet padding against hard woods towards the bathroom.

He followed, leaves flying into the bedroom behind him, his eyes glaring contemptuously at the man behind him. His hair was pale, his eyes, he knew, were blue behind those fluttering eyelids – how dare he.

How could he attempt to fathom the depths of the despair that Byakuya had gone through when she had left him? How could he take away what Byakuya had waited for so desperately, so longingly – he would not have her.

She was his.

He watched, possessively, her lithe hands, those hands that had once beseechingly dragged down his back, not that _boy's_, those hands turning the knob of the shower, hot water steaming the room – the soft patter of water entrancing him as she stood beneath its flow. There, on that flawless body, were kisses, love bites – not his own.

Dammit. She was his.

Was it his punishment to watch her be pleasured every night by another man?

That man that she allowed to touch her, he had followed him, seen that she was not the only girl that he visited, not the only girl that he called "his own". And Hisana didn't know, she didn't know.

Impulsively he stepped forward, sliding through the glass door silently, his robes untouched by the water, his hands resting on her hips. These hands, those of his true body, could feel the heat emanating from her skin – his lips on her neck.

She was his.

He felt her breath hitch in her throat as his hands trailed farther down her body. She was the same, even the tiny birthmark on her hip, the freckle below her left breast. This was the body of the woman he had worshipped.

His fingers, even after twenty years, knew where to go, where to touch. They slid into her, his thumb searching for that spot, a short gasp of pleasure making her lung forward to rest her forehead and hands against the shower wall.

And oh…she was flushed and perfect, the water streaming and pooling around her, that black hair tickling his face as he sucked on her neck, the skin purpling under his laving, her gasps and cries almost stifling. And then she was making that sound, that soft cry of happiness as her body trembled beneath him, beneath his touch that was there, and yet not.

Then it was over. The water turned off as she collapsed, her legs unable to support her, shivering on the floor, chest heaving. She stumbled out of the shower, and he stood, leaning against the wall, his eyes watching her bare back, the water droplets that pooled as she gripped the countertop of her vanity with white knuckles.

Her fingers dragged slowly up her arm to pull the hair back from her neck, her eyes widening as they trailed over the purple love mark that remained there. And then her eyes looked up, reflected in the mirror, and met his own. They widened sharply, and she whirled, looking for something that wasn't there, that shouldn't have been there.

She could see him.

His breath hitched in his throat as she stepped forward, hands reaching towards his body, hands that wavered – wavered long enough for him to panic. He disappeared, as quickly as he had come, back to the window, back to the light pole outside. Away from her, away from that man, away from that body, those lips, that voice, those hands.

Away from his heart.

And the next day, when he stood on the street across from her apartment complex, ready to shadow her on her commute, his robes billowing in the chilly early spring air, hair wafting into his eyes, she had stepped out, as usual.

Except this time, her eyes met his.

And instead of walking to the corner to push the worn orange button of the cross walk, as usual, she walked across the street.

**A/N: Ah, so should I continue? I'm tempted to just leave it at that. Keep in mind that this is reincarnated Hisana :-) After her life in Soul Society, when she's back in the real world.**

**Lyrics:**

Living without you  
Living alone  
This empty house seems so cold  
Wanting to hold you  
Wanting you near  
How much I wanted you home

But now that you've come back  
Turned night into day  
I need you to stay

So now I come to you  
With open arms  
Nothing to hide  
Believe what I say  
So here I am  
With open arms  
Hoping you'll see  
What your love means to me  
Open arms


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay…I think I've confused you guys about this story! I just meant that she walked across the street to meet him – not that she got hit by a car The chapter has been/will be edited to say that she "Looked both ways and crossed the street". That way, you know she hasn't died.**

**Suggested listening: "Apologize" by OneRepublic **

**Chapter 2: Fire Red**

Byakuya's breath hitched inexorably in his throat, his heart pounding so hard that the faint beats sounded like thunder in his ears. Every step she took towards him was like slow motion, every loose piece of gravel on the ill-maintained street shifting underneath her stiletto clad feet.

And then it was like a whirlwind of color, the cold breeze whipping her cinched, red trench coat away from her black pencil skirt.

She was across the yellow line.

She was at the curb.

And suddenly, she was in front of him – all five feet of her, her red painted lips creased into a frown. Byakuya hissed inwardly, he knew this look – he blanched backwards, but it was too late.

FWAP!

Byakuya's eyes snapped shut, the force of her hand colliding with his cheek making his face snap around, his jaw hanging slack as he froze. She pulled her hand away, leaving his face stinging against the cold wind.

He turned his face back, silently, staring unblinkingly at the bowed head before him, the heaving chest.

"I don't know…" she muttered, eyes flashing upwards dangerously, "Who the HELL you think you are…but stay the fuck away from me!"

Byakuya bit his lip awkwardly as she stared at him, lips pursed.

"HISANA!" another voice yelled, and she turned. It was her brunette friend from work, the ditz, if Byakuya recalled correctly, his cold fingertips touching his throbbing cheek as she pattered up in her dangerously high "heels".

Hisana whirled away from him, as her friend approached, a smile on her face. "Who are you talking to?" she babbled, and Hisana flipped her head back in the other direction again.

He was gone.

"I mean – you're like, all dancing in the street you silly thing, you look like Elaine from Signfeld, a full-body dry heave!" she laughed at her own joke and jerked out a cigarette, lighting it as Hisana's nose curled distastefully.

"But seriously, who were you, like talking to? Yourself?!" she snorted as she giggled, Hisana's eyes slanting towards the fenced in cemetery flanking the sidewalk. Bare cherry trees hovered over their wards, silent guardians, waiting for spring.

She gasped as a single flower petal floated down as if from heaven, kissing her face before it shot like an arrow towards the brunette's cigarette – slicing it cleanly in two.

The choked gasp of her friend, the stub of her cigarette in her mouth as the crisp, white end smoldered on the pavement in front of her made Hisana almost want to laugh, but she swallowed it.

He was there, again, awash in a swirl of light, almost pink colored petals, each strand dancing around outstretched fingers. And then his lips were at her ear, his hand on her arm, holding her gently in place.

"I know you don't like smoking…" he whispered, and laid a downy soft kiss on the hand he caressed, and then disappeared.

And when Hisana walked into her tiny cubicle, fingers dropping her bag onto the stool next to her desk chair, a single white rose lay across her keyboard, a post it note scribbled in a handsome hand sticking to her dusty computer screen.

Her fingers, trembling snatched the note and spread out its bent edges, the simple words almost shouting at her from the page.

"_Missing you"_

And on the back, there was an address to a store near the post office, and a time – six o'clock.

After work, she caught a cab, stepping out, heels clacking nervously on the pavement. The tiny shop came into view, hidden between two buildings that loomed around her. And there he was, in the doorway, a blonde man standing behind him.

"Ah, Miss Hisana" the blonde man smiled, "Welcome to the Urahara Shoten."

**A/N: I hope that clears things up:) **

**Lyrics: **

_I'm holding on your rope,  
Got me ten feet off the ground  
And I'm hearing what you say but I just can't make a sound  
You tell me that you need me   
Then you go and cut me down, but wait  
You tell me that you're sorry  
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say..._

that it's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall   
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat   
But it's nothing new - yeah  
I loved you with the a fire red- 

Now it's turning blue, and you say...  
"Sorry" like an angel  
That you never let me think was you  
But I'm afraid...


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving all! I'm GOING HOME! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! I get to see my horse horse horse horse horse horse horse… I bet he's missed me. He always whickers when he sees me…he loves his mum :-)**

**Sorry this has taken so long y'all…I have three book reviews due next Tuesday…can't even catch a break over the holiday.**

**Suggested listening: "Sorry for Love" by Celine Dion**

**Chapter Three:**

Hisana cupped the steaming mug of tea in front of her anxiously, her thumb, red manicured nails shining in the dim light of the traditional Japanese living room, rubbing circles on the pale white porcelain.

"Ano…Miss Hisana…" the blonde haired man squirreled from the next room, the screen sliding back slightly to overwhelm her with the smell of flowing somen, his hat and bangs shadowing his eyes and unkempt facial hair, "Do you like sugar with your tea?"

"She doesn't", the deep, unmistakably male voice of her stoic companion and pseudo-lover making her jump, her eyes slanting to glance at him where he sat, almost sulking in a nearby corner, his eyes shut, white-gloved hands tucked firmly between his arms and sides.

"Then what _do_ I like?" she grumbled, irritated and taken aback by the stranger's sudden, albeit correct answer.

"Two slices of lemon, with the seeds removed." He finished, and Hisana's mouth dropped open slightly in shock.

"You…" she began, but was cut off by the sound of plates, chopsticks, and the 'splish' of two slices of lemon dropping into her tea.

"Friends, please, eat." the proprietor of the shop beamed, Hisana's open mouth suddenly filled with a soft bun.

"Mmmf!" she eked out, her hands coming up to pull the bun out of her mouth, a large chunk almost choking her, her face flushed.

"Do you have a phone shop kee…?" she asked, demurely, her fingers wiping away the drool that dripped out the side of her mouth.

"Please, call me Kisuke, and may I ask why you need a phone?"

"I need to call Kyo and let him know I'll be home late." She murmured, chopsticks picking at the noodles in front of her.

A crunch from nearby the moody man made her glance up, the phone ripped straight out of the wall and hanging limping from his clenched fist.

"Ano…I had a phone…" Kisuke said, sheepishly, his hand behind his head ruffling his scraggly hair.

"What'd you do that for you big lunk?!" Hisana hissed, her brows furrowed angrily, "I needed that!"

"Correction", Byakuya murmured, lip sneering slightly, "You _wanted,_ not needed."

As if he could sense the storm clouds of fury billowing behind her brown eyes, Kisuke coughed lightly and slurped in a massive clump of noodles, flicking sauce on Hisana's face, making her blink in shock.

"Don't you have any manners?", she yelped, rubbing her cheek softly with the side of her hand, unable to dislodge the stubborn sauce. A gentle hand on her wrist made her freeze as her stalker gently pulled her hand aside and rubbed the side of her cheek with his black hakama. Her faced flushed furiously as the soft fabric smoothed the stain away, his movements ceasing almost as soon as they had begun.

"I would rather you not contact that _man_ ever again", he rumbled, eyes narrowed and piercing.

She gulped audibly as Kisuke finished his dinner with a loud belch, startling her from her reverie.

"Now, Miss Hisana…" he said, smiling, "What would you like to remember?"

"Excuse me?" Hisana asked, her right eyebrow raised in a perplexed fashion, "I don't understand."

"It's simple, you're going to fall in love for the second time."

"What…love?" Hisana garbled, her mouth dry and mind blank, "I don't think I signed up for this."

"Ah, there's no sign up, you _showed_ up." Urahara laughed maniacally, "And therefore, you have no choice in the matter, because fate chose for you."

"Fate?" Hisana yelped, moving to stand, "I don't want anything to do with this. I just want to go home and forget this ever happened!"

"Very well" Urahara murmured as she turned towards the door. He flash stepped towards her suddenly, his hand colliding with the back of her head and knocking her solidly forward, his left arm catching her like a rag doll as her unconscious body lolled about.

He laid her down on a futon, Byakuya's pursed lips making him laugh. "Don't worry, she's fine taichou-san."

"That was uncalled for, she should have a choice in the matter." Byakuya growled, controlled fury boiling beneath the surface.

"She did, I'm only doing what she asked", Kisuke beamed.

"And that is?"

"Sending her home, so that she'll forget this ever happened."

"What?" Byakuya snarled, fingers clenched tightly, "You said you could help her remember me!"

"I am, she won't be forgetting you again Byakuya-boy, she'll forget that her life in this world ever happened."

**A/N: So Happy (belated) Thanksgiving guys! Lyrics below! **

_  
That I will always be  
Devoted to you and me  
And if you can't feel that in my love  
Then I'm sorry for not giving you enough_

But I'm not sorry for my love  
I'm not sorry for my touch  
The way I made your hands  
Tremble and my heart rush

I would do it all again  
Wouldn't take back a thing, no  
'Cause with you I've lived  
A thousand lives in one

And I could never be  
I could never be  
Sorry for love


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Welcome to chapter IV! Wow, it's been at least two or three weeks hasn't it? I'm a terrible updater when it's crunch time in college I'm afraid. But no worries, chapter four is here to help make your pre-holidays super uber-happy! **

**Suggested listening: "I need you" by LeAnn Rimes**

**Chapter IV: Courage to find you again **

Hisana opened her eyes wearily to the sound of birds chirping delightedly in the cool air of spring, her sleeping robes loosely tied about her bare skin, the soft fabric of a cushioned futon padding her tired body.

Yawning, she rubbed her eyes slowly with the back of one hand, her nose catching the wafting scent of blackberry jam and warm scones, her stomach rumbling loudly. Sitting up, she blinked at the bright sunlight beaming through the windows as someone knocked lightly on the door behind her.

"Lady Hisana," a deep voice murmured, making her turn.

Someone stood in the doorway, but his face was blurred. She rubbed her eyes again, blinking furiously to try and clear her vision. The rest of the room was in excellent focus. She could count the leaves swaying on the branches outside.

"Yes?" she asked, still rubbing.

"My Lord wishes to know if you will accompany him this evening on his walk."

She paused, reaching up to untangle her hair from a set of silver filigreed combs that sent its waves tumbling around her waist, her hands unknotting smooth and silky hair. Wait, her hair was…wasn't it short? She'd had it bobbed a few weeks ago because of work…

She shook her head.

"You won't be accompanying milord this evening then, my Lady?" the voice rumbled once more, making her head spin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling delirious, "My Lord?"

"Yes, Lord Kuchiki…" the man replied, nodding as if she was an imbecile.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Lord Kuchiki?" she asked again, her fingers knotting tightly in the fabric beneath her.

"Yes, your husband."

"My…what?" she asked, his face blurring more as she stood abruptly, the room spinning. She was dating Kyo, she was dating Kyo… "I'm married?"

"You were married three years ago, milady."

"Three…what…?" Hisana froze, her hands touching her face, the plain silver band adorning her left ring finger making her eyes widen. She was married.

"Should I inform milord that you are feeling ill?"

"No, no, I'll be along shortly," another part of Hisana responded, one that was smooth and suave, with years of culture and sophisticated finesse.

More blurred faces entered the room, people took her clothes, her head was spinning. She was hallucinating. She should be in bed, her alarm clock should be ringing, she should be at work, she should be…

Heels clacking across pavement, hand connecting with flesh. For an instant the room froze, faces in mid-breath, mid-sentence, making her hiccup. And that voice, that man in the doorway…

He was blond, a hat, a scraggly beard. Heels were walking down a narrow alleyway, clicking methodically against rough, unkempt asphalt. And it was there, the shabby shop with the spotless courtyard, and he was there.

She ran towards him, what was his name… "Kisuke!" she shouted, her fingers reaching as the screen door he had shut behind him, flinging it open to a dark corridor. She turned, the people behind her were no longer there.

Instead, wailing faces were behind her. White masks, yellow eyes. She was running then, after that silhouetted shadow. The masks melded together, one giant being slouching behind her, feet stomping a pattern that stilled her heart with fear…and suddenly words popped into her mind…

Menos.

She ran, a blinding red light searing her retinas as an ungodly roar filled the hallway, her voice shaking as she saw the tiniest of lights glimmering at the end of the long, dark tunnel. And she ran faster, her sandal-clad feet skidding across carpets, floors, yesteryears…

And then she was outside, and the air was fresh and bright and the sun was setting. And the hole was gone.

The darkness was gone.

And there, that silhouette. It had changed. And her hands, her tiny hands were reaching for that white fabric that swung delightfully in the breeze behind him.

And that touch, that tug was all it took for him to turn, for dark, unbound hair, wafting in the breeze to throw to her a fragrance that was altogether everything she had ever desired. The scent of forests and earth, and the most delightful smell of…man.

His arms were open. He banished the night. Those sleeves enveloped her fragility and bolstered it with strength, and her heart, for the first time in so long, beat stronger than ever before.

"Lord Kuchiki…?" she asked, her fingers curling tightly in his robes, shell shocked, unable to move

"My name…" he whispered, his fingers trailing through her long locks, "…is Byakuya."

And with that he vanished, a wisp of smoke long forgotten on the breeze, and a roar that filled her ears with pain and made her heart stop beating surrounded her, the white, massive masked face had returned, his fingers ripping a yawning chasm above her head, long arms and mouths seeking to devour her.

She turned, running, then falling…the chasm was beneath her, it was all around her.

She was lost.

She was lost.

And then, she woke up.

Her alarm clock was blaring, her hair was short, her bedclothes rumpled. Her heels were beside her bed, red, forgotten against the beige carpet. Her tank top and short pajamas were the same, her covers were the same, her bed, was the same.

But when she moved, the early morning sunlight caught the glint of two silver filigreed combs sitting on her bedside, with long strands of black hair caught betwixt their teeth.

And underneath them, was a note.

"_Midnight, Karakura Park – Missing You_"

**A/N: Sorry this has taken so long, once again, college is killing me. Most of the other stories I've written I started during the summer at work when I had nothing to do and the doldrums were getting to me, regardless. **

**Lyrics:D **

_You're the hope that moves me  
To courage again  
You're the love that rescues me  
When the cold winds, rage  
And it's so amazing  
'cause that's just how you are  
And I can't turn back now  
'cause you've brought me too far_

I need you like water  
Like breath, like rain  
I need you like mercy  
From heaven's gate  
There's a freedom in your arms  
That carries me through  
I need you  
Oh yes I do


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I love the reviews I get for this story. I can't even tell you how much I smile and laugh when I receive them. They make writing every chapter even more worthwhile. Think of this story like a strange dream you've had, or déjà vu—Hisana's on the journey of a lifetime.**

**I mean, if I was on a journey to get my man, and in particular, a fine hunk of soul reaping Byakuya back from my undead memory, I'd be rather eager. But Hisana is a fickle creature sometimes. She's rather stubborn.**

**Suggested listening: "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin (you might have heard this in the ballroom dance scene in Disney's Enchanted – which btw, if you have not seen and are a Disney fan, please please go – it's such a great movie!)**

**Chapter 5: Famous Happy End **

It was cold. The wind blew bitterly at her back—tempestuous spring had once again deigned to relinquish the still burgeoning yet fading blasts of winter's might, and Hisana wished that she had had the foresight to wear jeans instead of the light leggings and jumper underneath her houndstooth trench.

Her flats padded gently along the sidewalks, her hands enveloped by massive pockets, her fingers closed delicately around her ice cold keys and attached mace spray, every muscle tensed and ready to spring. Her wary behavior was not unwarranted, she had heard of women, mugged, left for dead in the park.

Her teeth chattered as she passed through the park's worn iron gates, children's fingers long having smoothed the wrought metal's sharp edges into friendly hand holds of imagination. She passed the large penguin slide, the stone steps that led to the apex of a fountain that was frozen like thin glass in the chill.

The statue was a lion rampant, its mane swirling around it like spun cotton candy, his teeth softened by time and the elements.

"Twenty years ago he was new," the deep voice she was becoming accustomed to murmured from behind her. She started, gripping the mace in her hands and whirling angrily, her hair full of static.

The man, Lord Kuchiki…no, this Byakuya stood there glancing at her self-defense mechanism with intense dislike. "Do you think that I have not kept you safe for the entirety of your life, little one?"

She sighed, slumping down onto the cold concrete fountain basin, trying not to glance into his eyes. She jumped again when the ice cracked behind her, and leapt backwards, slipping on a wet patch of dew-frosted grass as Byakuya snatched her from harm's way.

She frowned as Kisuke emerged from the ice atop a massive gateway that seemed to be handcrafted from papier-mâché, the newspapers most recent headlines boldly blackened against the chaotic black-and-white lines that skittered around the papers like ants. Almost dizzy, Hisana grumbled as her cell phone alarm let out a loud chorus of beeps, her midnight alarm going off.

At least she'd been five minutes early for this fiasco. Not that that signified anything other than an eagerness to get rid of these crazies.

But Byakuya had her hand, and was walking towards that gate, one that hummed and snapped with energy that felt as if it had been sucked from the very air around her. She shuddered, and pulled back, but those long, graceful fingers were wrapped tightly around hers, intertwined and firm.

He stepped forward, the front half of his body disappearing as she tried to yank him backwards. His head reappeared, eyes amused as he instead tugged her. She slipped off the concrete and into the void, eyes shut tightly from fear of pain. Those fingers still held her tightly, and she followed, blindly in the darkness.

Instinctively she reached forward, her fingers clenching to the long black robes that he favored so distinctly over any normal or recognizable clothing, and she felt his back stiffen slightly.

"Hisana…" he murmured, his hand squeezing her own, "Follow closely."

Something rumbled ominously behind her and she stumbled as she turned to look, a scream welling up in her throat. "WHAT IS THAT?!" she shrieked, the monster that encroached rapidly upon her feet devouring the very walkway that they stood upon.

Byakuya swore lightly under his breath, and jerked her into his arms, his feet dashing quickly along the vanishing path, a bright light glaring in front of them. Hisana screamed as he dashed through it, the air beneath them making them plummet rapidly downwards.

The sickening drop made her scream. She glanced upwards to see a strained look on Byakuya's face akin to pain. "I would prefer…" he muttered, his feet skidding gently on the waving grass of a massive field below, "if you wouldn't deafen me upon our descent."

"Who died and made you Lord of the creepy field?" she grumbled as he set her down, a smirk on his handsome face.

"Milord!" someone shouted, Hisana's eyes catching glimpse of several other men in the same black robes as her fashion-sense-less companion, and her mouth dropped.

"…Lord?" she murmured, head shaking. Could her dream be real?

"If you really must know, my father died and made me Lord of the creepy field," he retorted, Hisana's face reddening in a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"But…what…how?" she hissed, her flats sinking into a mushy patch of ground, which made her yelp in disgust.

"Easily. I am Kuchiki Byakuya, seventeenth heir of the most noble house of Kuchiki, Lord of the Four Noble Family's, Captain of the Sixth Division of the Thirteen Gotei, and you…" he paused, lifting her from the ground to sit astride his back, her tiny hands clenched, ice cold in the fabric close to his neck, "your place is by my side."

"You can't just kidnap me from my life!" she yelped, the courtiers around her escorting them back as she argued quietly.

"I think it a fair trade—your death...," Byakuya hissed, the grip of his hands on her thighs almost bruising.

"My what? So now you're going to kill me? Great, I'm being stalked by the jolly green gigantic serial killer with a great big old sword," Hisana huffed.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions." He growled, threateningly, "Your death destroyed my life, my home…my heart. Do you think I would so lightly gamble your existence like one of the petty criminals and hell-bound bastards of the living world?"

Hisana gulped quietly as they reached a rise, a palisade fortress opening up below her, great white stone walls rising as if levitated to allow them through massive doors. Tile stretched in every direction, lines upon lines of those same black robed people bowing on woven-reed mats laid beside koi ponds, whose inhabitants were gigantic. Hisana's muddy shoes were taken by a small girl, her coat by another, a vastly far too expensive fur draped around her neck by another to prevent a draft.

Screen doors were slid backwards with every step they took—wide arched ceilings had obviously been altered for the sake of Byakuya, or another visitor's height. His head was nearly two feet from the ceiling. This palace dwarfed her.

A pattering of small feet made her stop as a tiny boy tottered around the corner, soft brown hair pulled back into a pony tail, white robes muddied and covered with what looked like ketchup.

"Haru!" a deep male voice laughed, another set of feet following as a bright, red haired, black and white robed fellow tumbled from behind a screen, Byakuya stopping with a slight eye roll and grumbled, "Hm?" as the toddler rolled clumsily onto his feet, missing teeth and a wide grin making the otherwise stoic giant's lips twitch upwards.

He reached his hands downwards, tiny fingers grasping his own gently as he lifted the boy above his head, a gentle look in his eyes that Hisana hadn't quite seen before. The red-haired man sighed as he ruffled his hair, a massive sword strapped to his back.

"Sorry, Byakuya," he smiled, hands reaching for the boy, "he got away from me during work."

"You should refer to me with respect, boy." Byakuya grumbled, albeit good-naturedly as he added a quiet, "Don't let Rukia find out," underneath his breath as they turned to walk in the study adjacent.

"Byakuya…" the man asked again, leaning on the door frame as Hisana pattered behind him wearily, "Who's this?"

Byakuya only smiled as Hisana turned to properly face him, making the man gasp. "My name is Hisana," she smiled, offering her hand, not expecting him to be familiar with the greeting.

He beamed and grasped her fingers firmly, "Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of Division Three."

"Are you related to the Kurosaki's who run the hospital?" she asked, while realizing that this man probably didn't know a thing about Karakura Town.

"Ah yes, my father runs the place, retired Shinigami, you know."

"Shinigami?" she replied, eyebrows raising, "A death dealer?"

"No, Soul Reaper—we guard the souls of the Living and protect them from danger, while ensuring they reach their proper destinations, and disposing of those that have…gone rotten." Byakuya interjected, smoothly as he knelt behind a low cherry wood table.

"I don't understand—are you like, magic or something?" she asked, face puzzled.

"You were once a Shinigami," Byakuya replied, as Ichigo bowed his way from the room, son in tow.

"I would remember something as ludicrous as that." She snorted, reaching for the proffered glass of steaming tea that a servant had retrieved during her introduction to Ichigo.

"Would you like to?" Byakuya said, looking up from his paperwork, a small pair of spectacles adorning the tip of his nose.

Hisana paused, and nodded, eyes soft in the light of a now roaring fire nearby.

"Take this…" Byakuya said, offering her a small blue-and-white pill. "You will remember soon enough."

Hisana swallowed the pill with her tea, and her fingers began to shake. She looked at him nervously, her eyes rolling awkwardly back into her head as he pulled her into his arms.

"Sleep here," he said, almost too quiet to hear, "I promise and ensure your absolute safety."

Hisana snuggled into his robes unintentionally, her eyes drooping shut as she suddenly felt immeasurably tired. "Why're…you doing this for me?" she whispered, as she fell asleep.

Knowing she couldn't hear him, Byakuya still smiled softly, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Even if…" he whispered, fingers entwined in her hair, "This new body chooses to not accept me—your new life not again part of my own…just to have had you, once more, a little while longer…"

He glanced out the window at the whirling cherry blossoms and finished, his whisper intelligible to anyone but her ears, which had long drowned out the noises of the outside world, "To be this close, and even so far—is enough. Just you, by my side…"

"It's all I want."

**A/N: I hope that wasn't too sappy for Byakuya. The Ichigo (shameless plug, I must admit) comes from my inherent belief that it would be only the most cool thing this side of slice buttered toasted and jammed bread if Ichigo became a captain in Soul Society :P I hope it's not too crazy of an idea! (And this is my longest chapter for this story to date! I'm trying to lengthen, lol) **

**Lyrics: **

_**(I'm putting the whole song – cuz it's sooooo great!!)**_

_**You're in my arms**_

_**And all the world is calm**_

_**The music playing on**_

_**For only two**_

_**So close together**_

_**And when I'm with you**_

_**So close to feeling alive**_

_**A life goes by, romantic dreams will start**_

_**So I'm reminded by and never lose**_

_**So close is waiting, waiting here with you**_

_**And now forever I know**_

_**All that I want is **_

_**To hold you, so close**_

_**So close **_

_**To reaching that famous happy end**_

_**Almost, believing this one's not pretend**_

_**And now, you're beside me, and look how far we've come**_

_**So far, we are so close**_

_**How could I face, the faceless days**_

_**If I should lose you now?**_

_**We're so close**_

_**To reaching, that famous happy end**_

_**Almost believing, this one's not pretend**_

_**Let's go on dreaming**_

_**For we know we are**_

_**So close, so close**_

_**And still so far **_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So here is the next chapter of Forgetmenot :) Once again, I've written another, rather lengthy chapter. It's five pages! Woot -- I'm trying to lengthen each chapter to make up for the lack of weekly updates due to school/RA work! Enjoy, R/R please! **

**Suggested listening for this chapter is: "It is you I have Loved" by Dana Glover**

**Forgetmenot **

**Chapter Six: "All Along"**

Hisana blinked rapidly, the sound of birdsong chirping quietly in her ears as she opened her deep brown eyes, her lashes soft on her own cheekbones as she turned her head sleepily to glance at the flowers that dangled, dew glistening from gentle petals.

She sat up quickly, heart racing, her fingers clenching instinctively around the leather grip of her blade, rough calloused digits caressing the softened material. It wouldn't do to be found by one of her superiors napping during free-training time.

Wait…training?

Her thinking seemed almost muddled as she stood up, leaning against the tree, vision blurring. Where was she again?

The forest…Rukongai.

Rukongai.

Like a pace-maker, the single word steadied her heartbeat, making her breathe deeper, slower. She was fine.

No one saw.

She turned, feet swishing through the long grass as she jumped forward, her robes, long and black, torn and dirtied, snagging on a nearby branch.

"Shit", she hissed, her fingers scrabbling in the dirt towards the heavy limb that pinned her. She tried to use her Zanpakutou to roughly saw at the fabric, each stroke levying damage against the thickly woven garments that adorned her body. Frowning, she tugged futilely, and shrieked as the fabric tore, sending her careening down the rapid slope behind her.

Her scream bounced off the nearby cliffs as her sword battered her with the flat of its blade, each hit making her wince and hiss. She finally tumbled into a heap, feet next to her ears, butt in the air, hands and hair full of leaves and twigs…

Right on top of somebody else.

Hisana's eyes uncrossed from her dizzying decent as she looked upwards into the grey orbs of a puzzled and stern face, long dark hair dangling silver bedazzlements that shone in the waning sunlight of the afternoon sky.

Her mouth puzzled itself into an "oh" of surprise as her brain resuscitated fragmented pieces of information that made her mind reel, certain segments blaring out as if violently highlighted.

Kuchiki.

Kuchiki Byakuya.

….THE Lord Kuchiki.

"Aw dammit...", she mumbled quickly, scrambling backwards and falling caddywhompus into a pile of dirt and leaves and robes and sword – all of it making her look like some sort of floundering mushroom growing in the grub of the forest floor.

She covered her face with her thorn and rock scraped hands, the cuts trickling blood gently down her fingers as her deep brown eyes peeked warily from behind them.

He was still right there.

He was staring…right…at…her.

She was finished, ruined—she could see it now, the laughing stock of the entire Sereitei. She had just humiliated herself in front of the most powerful Captain in all of soul society…

And then, he coughed.

Or at least she thought it was a cough. It sounded like something between a cough and a sneeze—and unbelievably, it happened again. It wasn't coughing, it wasn't sneezing, no—he was laughing.

Laughing at her.

If there had ever been a moment in her entire life that Hisana had wanted to dig a six foot hole and crawl deep into it whilst pulling down dirt and worms and the weight of the world to hide herself – this was it. There had never been a more opportune time, this didn't even compare to when she had accidentally blown a kidou ball up in Commander Yamamoto's class.

And then, he stopped, coughed, and reached out with long, slender fingers ensconced inside white gloves, his protruding fingertips sweeping her hands away from her face, then tearing pieces of his white Captain's haori to wrap them gingerly around the battered skin. He never made a sound, just continued with his work while she sat there, peeking from beneath scraggly, unkempt, leaf and wind blown bangs at his face.

From afar, Lord Kuchiki had always seemed older, haughty. But now, she saw that he couldn't have been more than three or four years older than she was. No lines of age graced his fair skin, the only sign of imperfection a pale scar that she could see peeking from beneath the "v" of his robes, where white bandages tightly bound his glistening muscles.

She blushed then—her gaze had slid farther south than she had wished it to. He was bound to have noticed—everyone spoke of his infinite prowess and dignity. It was as if he could do no wrong.

And now, he simply shredded the hem of his robe to clean her cuts. Unbelievable.

"Ano…" she began, voice trembling as his fingers opened the palm of her left hand, tracing the edges of a deeper wound and making her insides shiver.

He glanced at her sharply, then looked her up and down once more before shaking his head to silence her, another strip of robe forming another bandage. By the time his patchwork of bandages had been completely, Hisana found herself looking at hands that more resembled those of a mummy than her own.

Frowning, she attempted to stand up, only to have his hand swoop around her tiny waist, the other tucking her Zanpakutou back into her belt. She bit her lower lip, trying not to speak. He turned to walk away, then shook his head again, reaching to straighten her robes and de-leaf and twig them, then simply wrapped his thumb and forefinger around a patch of her sleeve, tugging it gently as he marched resolutely through the forest ahead.

Hisana stumbled behind him, puzzled, still silenced as sun set ablaze the last vestiges of twilight with a rainbow of oranges, pinks, and purples, the leafs sweeping away as her feet soon hit stone instead of loam, white travertine tiles stretching before her in a brilliant, illuminated pathway that led to a quaint country house, fountains and ponds glistening in the rising moonlight.

"Sir…" she interrupted, the silence looming over her head, "I must get back to my squad."

"There is no need." He replied, his deep voice making her heart pound, "I have already sent a message to Captain Ukitake concerning your whereabouts."

"…oh…", she whispered, taken aback as they approached the porch of the house, his fingers sliding the screen doors backwards to reveal a quaint dining room with a fire rumbling cheerily, a futon laid out, linens crisp in the dim glow.

"Your name?" he asked, his hands reaching out to the fireplace to stir a pot of already simmering stew, its scent making her salivate as she sat where he had placed her next to the low traditional cherry wood table.

"Hisana…stationed with the 13th Squad, fourth seat."

"Fourth?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, "you must boast moderate talent to be considered fourth by Ukitake."

"I'm working on it…" she mumbled, all too aware that she sat in the presence of a master of his Zanpakutou. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi and his master were well renowned indeed. He smiled then, slightly, the corners of his mouth barely turning up before she found herself staring at a deliciously steaming bowl of vegetable and beef medley, her fingers eagerly lifting it to her mouth to slurp delicately.

He raised an eyebrow, then lifted his own bowl, eyes watching her gently. She felted like she was squirming under her skin from his constant scrutiny. She couldn't take it any longer. Every glance, every silent slurp added another pound of pressure on top of what had already been an infinitely mortifying afternoon.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped suddenly, her mouth hanging open and shutting lamely as she attempted to back her bravado with something other than bandaged hands incapable of wielding a Zanpakutou at all.

He lifted one eyebrow incredulously and then smirked again. "You," he said, simply, in response as he continued to eat, "Although you're about as pleasant to be around as a lion with a thorn in its paw."

She blushed, humiliated again, and sighed grumpily, his slight smile returning. "I find you most amusing," he stated, leaning back onto one elbow as he scrutinized her again, "now come here."

She obeyed, meekly, his hands lifting the bandages that adorned her arms and replacing them with a cool salve from a nearby container. "You ought not be so clumsy, little one."

"I'm not little," she huffed, lamely, wincing as one of the bandages peeled back a fresh scab, "…just accident prone."

"Accident prone may be an understatement," he snorted again, "and like it or not, I'm afraid you are little."

"Am not!" she retorted, louder this time, pain accenting her words, "You're just a big bully!"

At this he began to shake uncontrollably, slight snickers coming from his mouth as he tried not to grin openly. "What gives you the right to be so condescending?" she demanded, only intensifying his humor, "It's not funny!"

"I only said I found you amusing," he replied again, rewrapping her hands neatly this time, her fingers now capable of moving independently of one another. "That does not mean that your valor or strength is lacking. Even the smallest of warriors should not be underestimated. With that said, please, lie down. I will take respite in the next room."

Feeling defeated, Hisana glumly plopped onto the futon, laying her chin moodily on her wrists as he left the room, the screens sliding shut as she watched his silhouette in the next room as he leaned back against the wall, his breathing evening gently, he must have been tired. "Why the hell does he have to talk like that anyways...", she mumbled, the drawl and lack of finesse in her accent becoming almost overwhelming in the silence that enveloped the small house.

Hisana tossed and turned, fingers rumpling the linens on the bed. Everything seemed odd in this house. A disturbed snort from next door made her slide out from underneath the covers to the next room, the screen sliding back gently as she glanced at his body, leaning gently against the door frame, his arms shivering.

Frowning, she rolled her eyes as she tugged the screens backwards, opening the room from two small ones into one large one, then shoved the futon underneath him to catch him as he stirred in his sleep. He collapsed, all six and a half feet of him, legs tumbling every which-a-way across the mattress. She pulled the covers over him, then slid into the small space remaining herself. It wouldn't do to get sick in the middle of the night…

Even if it meant sharing the bed of the most powerful man in Sereitei…

A sleepy Hisana grimaced as the sun rose over the horizon, her neck cracking slightly as she snuggled deeper into the soft embrace of her pillow, her eyes opening slightly to glance into the slumbering face of Kuchiki Byakuya.

Lord Kuchiki.

The Lord Kuchiki.

She sat up suddenly, glancing around. This study – this wasn't where she had fallen asleep…glasses on the nearby table, work scattered aimlessly about, Byakuya's face, lines gently caressing the corners.

Lines that hadn't been there last night. In the forest, he had been only twenty three or twenty four. Now he appeared to be almost thirty-five, still handsome, but wiser, older, more respected.

Laugh lines decorated the corners of his eyes. Laugh lines caused by her.

But what happened to last night? How long had she slept? The lamps in the hallway had barely been lit. It felt as if she had been gone for days, and yet, she had only slept two hours. Her head swam angrily like a swarm of bees, images of her vision and the contrasting world that she had entered what seemed like moments before jumping around her head. Wearily, she gripped the edges of Byakuya's robes and froze…

Worn and aged, as if they were almost disintegrating, were the bandages. Bandages that still wrapped around her fingers. Bandages that revealed a strange, sickle shaped scar that had just been caressed by the same hands that now rested beneath her head.

What the hell was going on here?

**A/N: So here's chapter 6! Hisana's starting to figure things out maybe? R/R! **

_**There is something that I see**_

_**In the way, you look at me**_

_**There's a smile, there's a look, in your eyes**_

_**But this unexpected way**_

_**On this unexpected day**_

_**Could it be, this is where I belong?**_

_**It is you I have loved all along**_

_**There's no more mystery**_

_**It is finally clear to me**_

_**You're the home my heart searched for**_

_**So long**_

_**It is you I have loved all along**_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! A new chapter of Forgetmenot, FINALLY. I am soooooo sorry it has taken me soooooooo long to write this chapter. I've been completely swamped at school with research and reading and it makes me look like this: or like TT that. I will be trying to get more done asap.**

**Okay – the posting of this has been delayed by, duh duh duh : The flu. Yes, influenza has me, unfortunately, and I feel like crap. Absolute crap. Ugh. And then I was writing this and lost a whole page… so it's had a few set backs. **

**Suggested listening: "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Alison Kraus**

**Chapter 7: Midnight Cigarette **

Hisana had crept from the bed covers like a mouse, intent on not disturbing the slumbering giant whose breath quivered on her neck softly, making her tremble. Her fingers had peeled back the robes that had been pulled from his back to lay across her bare legs. Her feet had made nary a sound as she had slid back the screen doors, the cutting chill of the air blowing her hair backwards as her breath wisped outwards as an ephemeral cloud of mist.

She reached for the railing of the short porch, the gleaming moon like a spotlight on the surface of the half-frozen pond nearby, sleepy koi hibernating at the bottom, vague bubbles the only sign of their presence. She pushed with her hands, her feet following as she scrambled over the low railing, soft grass and mulch crunching beneath her slipper clad toes. She scuffed along the white rock path, jumping lightly from each paving stone to the next, twirling so that the massive kimono she wore spun around her in a rainbow of red and orange. Smiling slightly, she reached the white gate that led into the crisp, gleaming acres of wilderness that they had walked through on their approach. Apparently they surrounded the entire palisade.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of a white wicker ladder nearby one of the wall parapets, and her feet eagerly climbed the rungs to catch a glimpse of what lay out of sight. The cold silenced the crickets, stars above gleaming from the lack of bright street lights, luminous dark clouds obscuring the far horizon. Her fingers traced familiar constellations, their positions reversed in the night sky. She pulled her robe tighter, leaning back against the white wall behind her as she looked upwards, the house small in the distance. She hadn't realized she'd walked so far, the house was at least a quarter of a mile away.

A violent gust of wind swung her about as she covered her ears with her hands, her hair blowing and stinging her skin. A loud clatter made her look up as the rickety ladder shot skywards, then fell backwards onto the manicured lawns, leaving her stranded twenty feet above the ground.

"Oh shit!" she hissed, looking up and down the wall. It was obvious that this portion of the palisade had been ignored for some time due to the presence of several powerful soul reapers in the household. She climbed wearily to her feet as a rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, making her quail in fright.

"Dammit!" she almost wept, the storm clouds rolling in violently from the south. How did she manage to always get herself into these situations? She tried to wrap her robe around her head as the first drops of rain poured down, but the thin fabric quickly soaked through, dampening her skin. Shivering, she walked rapidly down the wall, trying to peer into the distance. She thought she saw a lamp flickering on the post, but couldn't discern if it was real or her imagination. The nearest lookout's post was abandoned, the torch drenched, and the flint and tinder long lost due to disrepair.

A violent gust of wind drug her backwards, the soft soles of her slippers losing purchase on the fine, pristine stone slab. Gravity sucked her downwards, her breath letting out a shriek that was drowned by a roar of thunder. Her fingers snatched the edge of the parapet, clinging desperately as her feet dangled fifteen feet above the ground. She swung her left hand towards the edge, fingers slipping as she desperately tried to find purchase as the rain seemed to fall even harder.

She yelped out a desperate "NO!" as her last digit gave way, her eyes shutting as she prepared to hit the ground with a sickening lurch. Instead, she gasped as hands clenched her midsection, her robe quickly undone and replaced by a dark, woolen, waterproof one. She opened her eyes from behind tightly held fists, Byakuya's face looming into view, eyebrows pursed and worried, his breath a fine mist on her face.

His bare chest was warm against her back, and she felt herself faint, carried away by adrenaline and the cold. She vaguely heard the slamming of screen doors and the yelping of servants. She barely heard Byakuya's deep voice snarling as her body hit soft covers, her robe snatched away from her.

She was engulfed in warmth, something soft laying tightly against her, large, calloused palms vigorously rubbing up and down her arms. She surrendered to unconsciousness, her mind falling into nothing as she let sleep claim her.

She awoke, hours later, content and warm, her head resting gently on something that heaved beneath her. She snuggled into it, her nose sliding across a firm, tanned chest. Her palms gently pushed upwards, a loud "oof" coming from beneath her. Her brown eyes blinked as she glanced downwards at her completely unclothed body, her legs tangled between a set of larger, manly ones. She glanced upwards, beet red, hair falling into her eyes as a set of stormy gray orbs peered fiercely into her own.

Suddenly she was on her back, Byakuya's body pinning her into the soft expanse of feather down futon, vibrant red covers sliding downwards to barely cling to his bare buttocks. She couldn't believe how hard her heart was beating. She was certain Byakuya could hear every single thud, its telltale beat increasing as his head came towards her body.

His lips brushed her forehead, her cheeks, her ears, her nose – leaving a trail of desire that made her puddle, a slight mew of disappointment erupting from her cherry lips, swollen from her top teeth clenching them desperately as he avoided them. Instead, they suckled along her pulse point, nose gently sliding down the arch of her neck to her collar bone. Fingers trailed down skin, checking limbs for unnoticed wounds, lips following their trails until Hisana felt like a piece of molten lava, smoldering and wild.

And finally that face was staring into hers. Her legs had wrapped tightly around his waist unconsciously. His faced was strained, his breathing haggard. Those fingers that had so endearingly traced her every contour now pinned her wrists above her head, his eyebrows furrowing into a stern expression of condemnation.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" he snapped, Hisana's eyes filling with tears as he chastised her. "You could have been killed!"

"I just…" she mumbled, trying to wiggle away from him, her motions making him grunt.

"Stay still" he intoned, sternly, fingers tightening on her wrists, breathing coming out in short pants, "Now, why did you leave?"

Hisana couldn't think of any excuse for why she had left the mansion, so instead she did the first illogical thing that came to her mind.

She kissed him.

**A/N: Okay – so I hope that satisfies! Sorry it's been so long, I rather like the way it came out. **

**Naked Byakuya keeping you warm anyone:P This verse of this song makes me think of what Byakuya is thinking – she could've died, he's gone through it again, and he's not going to tolerate it happening on his watch once more. **

**Lyrics:**

**She put him out**

**Like the burning end of a midnight cigarette**

**She broke his heart**

**He spent his whole life trying to forget**

**They watched him drink his pain away**

**A little at a time**

**But he never could get drunk enough **

**To get her off his mind**

**Until the night**

**He put that bottle to his head**

**And pulled the trigger**

**And finally drank away her memory**

**Life is short, but this time it was bigger**

**Than the strength he had to get up off his knees**

**They found him with his face down in the pillow**

**With a note that said**

"**I'll love her 'til I die"**

**And when they buried him beneath the willows**

**The Angels sang a whiskey lullaby**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Soooo I am such a horrible updater that if you feel like throwing rotten tomatoes and other various strange objects at me, I will not object entirely. I kinda deserve it. Finally I have some free time! No homework this weekend, and I'm going to New York next week! **

**So anyways, here is the seventh chapter of Forgetmenot, which hopefully has not diminished due to lack of updates. I'm going to try to make this chapter extra long to make up for it, or longer than usual rather.**

**Ah, and as to the question of Ichigo's red hair – I know it's orange, lol, but in real life it would be "red", if that makes sense? I can go back and change it to avoid confusion – I am planning on writing a Rukia/Renji though, just cuz it strikes my fancy. (Don't hit me if you're a Ruki/Ichi shipper – she's got him in SOW ;P )**

**Suggested listening: "If I Should Fall Behind" by Faith Hill**

**Chapter 8: Fall Behind Me**

Hisana's brain almost hit overload as Byakuya's lips reciprocated her fiery kiss, his hair shadowing her face as her fingers slid along the contours of his ears, her small body arching into his own. An almost feral growl erupted from his torso, making her quiver with desire. She gasped as his teeth slid down her neck, her leg reaching up to tug his body closer to her own, something that Byakuya didn't seem to mind in the least.

There was something hovering on the edges of her consciousness that she couldn't quite place, like the distant, rumbling thunder signaling the second wave of storms on the horizon. Her fingers slid down a scar on his chest, a scar that hadn't been there the last time…

The last time? 

And suddenly Hisana was somewhere else, standing in the doorway of a room glowing with candlelight, lightning rocketing through the skies through the uncovered window. Rain slammed down in torrents against the etched glass as someone let out a deep, passionate moan from a futon snuggled into a cozy alcove.

* * *

She saw her own silhouette arch off of the mattress, the same large pair of hands clenching hips that were all too familiar, soft and angled. Thumbs slid down skin into the darkness, the gentle rocking making her other self gasp, sweat drenched hair clinging to soft skin that gleamed, luminescent in the waning light of dying candles.

"Hisana…" her partner purred, Byakuya's distinctive, deep voice echoing around the chamber, making the ghost-Hisana blush, her hand clenched tightly over her heart. She shielded her eyes – she shouldn't be watching this, this _figment_ of her overactive imagination.

There was no way she had ever, would ever, could ever…

But her eyes couldn't be torn away, her breathing heavy. She could tangibly feel the impassioned emotions that seemingly drew her closer to the mattress, and yet farther away at the same time. She had been that girl, hadn't she?

The girl that cried out with each touch, a tear streaming down her face as her heart roared with fervor, feverishly clinging to the man below her, shivering, trembling waves of emotion making her stream tears down his bandaged torso.

* * *

"Don't..." she heard her voice chirrup, soft and barely audible amidst the rumbling thunder. 

"What?" this past Byakuya panted, pain and pleasure etched across his younger, unlined skin.

"Don't leave me too…" 

"I would not leave you alone." He whispered, ghost-Hisana clenching the doorframe so hard that her knuckles were white with pressure.

"And yet…" his voice grumbled, right next to her this time, as she turned, startled to stare into his eyes. He was right beside her, and yet he was across the room from her. Two Byakuyas. Her mind whirled with confusion as he grasped her tightly, his arms curling her into his body protectively, a sob wrenched from his chest as she sheltered her eyes from his penetrating gaze.

"And yet it was you, who left me…" he gasped, pain audible in the dulcet tones of normally calm voice, "Left me to suffer. It took me seventy-five years…" he almost hiccupped, maintaining his composure.

"Seventy-five years?" she whispered, fingers curling in the soft black robes draped over his body.

"To find you again." 

And suddenly it was as if a tidal wave of realization swamped Hisana's senses. Thoughts and emotions, memories both good and bad swarmed along her nerves, making her tremble delightedly and fearfully, her toes curling into the tatami mat floor.

The room swirled and disappeared, and they were back by the fire, and she was back in his bedroom, the fire and thunder rumbling and cracking like competing titans, her short black hair strewn across a scarred torso, large hands stroking her back. 

Tears streamed unheeded from her eyes, soaking the sheets that she had clenched into her fist, one of his hands sliding beneath her chin to lift her porcelain face, his gray eyes locking determinedly with her own.

"Please…" he whispered, voice hoarse with emotion, "Stay with me."

Hisana gulped, frozen like a deer in headlights, feeling as if she had been thrown into an icy river. Every breath made her heart pound louder, her body aching and crying out unconsciously to him. She sat up, sheets draped about her waist, her back turned to him, breath shuddering from tired lungs.

"I don't…I don't know…" she whispered, his hand reaching for her own, only to be smacked away gently. 

"Don't tease me…" he hissed, eyebrows furrowing deeply.

"Just – just let me think!" she yelped, confusion evident on her features. 

"No." he hissed, hands reaching out and forcing her to turn towards him, the world spinning as she found herself pinned beneath him once again, his arms a steel cage around her. She propped herself up on her elbows as he leaned forward eyes determinedly locked with her own.

Gently, he touched his lips to hers, taking the bottom one in between his and suckling gently, teeth nibbling the sensitive skin, a gasp torn from between them. Unintentionally she opened her mouth, his tongue sliding along her own, rediscovering the contours so long ago lost to death and darkness.

It was if she had never been touched before. This was nothing compared to earlier, compared to the passion she felt in the darkness. This –this was fire, emboldened and sweltering, her skin glistening as his lips left her own to place butterfly kisses down her neck and into her décolletage, her fingers clenched between hands twice the size of her own.

"Be mine." He murmured, his teeth tugging gently on her ear, "I _beg _of you." 

Hisana rolled, her arms now the cage, her legs straddling his broad torso breathless and shaken, sheets curled about her waist. He lay there, watching her, hands sliding up legs to grip her hips gently and passionately, thumbs twirling distracting patterns on her skin, the firelight twinkling and rollicking across her pale-as-snow skin. 

She bit her lip, eyes frantic. He was patient, waiting, watching for the signal to continue. And she was breathless, swept away, and altogether, utterly and inescapably confused. She lifted one hand to cover her bare breasts, chest heaving in the twilight, one hand sweeping through her tangled tresses.

She caught his eyes, which hadn't left her. Felt the hands that still gently grasped her, and opened her mouth, gulped, and turned her face away from his own, a deep blush spreading from her neck to her cheeks.

She mumbled something barely audible into her fingers, and then fell forward onto his chest, her nose rubbing a tiny circle in the hollow where his neck joined his body. He awkwardly rested his hands on her lower back, fingers still, absorbing the undeniably scintillating warmth that radiated off of her body. 

She whispered something in his ear, and he frowned as he leaned closer, unable to hear what she murmured. 

"What?" Byakuya whispered, his lips brushing against her soft cheek, making her shiver.

A soft snore made him roll his eyes in exasperation as he gently slid from beneath her, her eyes shut, mental and physical exhaustion evident in the way that she seemingly weighed as much as a small elephant. Smiling despite himself, he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her nose, a tiny smile spreading as she snatched his arm and tugged it closer to her, a soft whisper skating past her lips.

"Make me remember…"

**Lyrics: (I 3 3 3 3 this song! So I posted all the lyrics, lol! Hisana to Byakuya, for POV perspective sake!) **

_**You said we'd walk together**_

_**Baby come what may**_

_**That come the twilight**_

_**Should we lose our way**_

_**If as we were walking**_

_**A hand should slip free**_

_**I'll wait for you**_

_**And Should I fall behind, wait for me**_

_**This world we traveled together**_

_**Darlin' side by side**_

_**We help each other**_

_**Stay in stride**_

_**Each lover's steps fall**_

_**So differently**_

_**So I'll wait for you**_

_**And should I fall behind, wait for me**_

_**Everyone dreams of**_

_**A love lasting and true**_

_**And you and I know what this world can do**_

_**So let's make our steps clean**_

_**That the other may see**_

_**And I'll wait for you, and should I fall behind, wait for me**_

_**There's a beautiful river**_

_**In the valley ahead**_

_**There 'neath the oaks round**_

_**Soon we will wed**_

_**Should we lose each other**_

_**In the shadow of the evening trees**_

_**Oh, I'll wait for you, and should I fall behind, wait for me. **_

_**Darlin' I'll wait for you, and should I fall behind, wait for me. **_


	9. Chapter 9

Byakuya leaned heavily against the pillars of stone that surrounded the worn mausoleum

A/N: So I've finally completed all my obligations to school at the beginning of this summer (except of course for the crazy theater class I'm in online right now roll eyes). So now I'm providing you with a little summer respite! The newest chappies of SOW are on the way as well, plus the finale for Gin and Rangiku, which I have revised due to up and coming changes in the manga 

P.S. – I'm going to post a new story with Ichigo as the main character for those of you who want to see some Ichi/Ruki action, and someone asked for a Rukia/Renji – so I will be providing a one-shot or short story for them sometime soon as well. Plus another, younger Byakuya fanfiction – since (SPOILER) it's been discovered that he was a crazy, temperamental little dude when he was 13ish. LOL

Suggested listening: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", Roberta Flack, or Celine Dion cover of the song – Leona Lewis has one too!

**Chapter 9: Close your Eyes**

Byakuya leaned heavily against the pillars of stone that surrounded the worn mausoleum. His fingers gently caressed the pattern of flowers and roses intertwined amongst the plethora of wildflowers that grew next to the eternal flame that roared at the foot of the grave, the massive cherry tree above him wafting in the early spring breeze.

Her body was gone.

He had noticed many years ago that her perfectly preserved form had begun to wane, fade like the edges of a water color left out in the sun too long. Her hair had turned brassy, her skin translucent. Unfortunately, he was not privy to the decomposition methods that a body made up of pure spiritual energy went through.

He had tried to never study them.

It had begun twenty years ago, when on a sojourn into the living world, he had felt her reiatsu twinge. He had followed that shrieking beam of light to a tiny hospital window. He had stared at a tiny girl, a teenage mother, holding a black haired babe in her arms.

He had watched as she was given away, handed to the nurse, the tearful mother disgraced and turned from her home, a derelict on the streets. She was lucky to have been claimed by a Soul Reaper later that day, when her broken spirit left the living world.

Lucky that Byakuya was that Soul Reaper.

He had followed the babe, from foster home to foster home. Her hair grew longer, her eyes bright. She could see him when she was small, a sign of her spiritual strength. Like many babies, she was full of happiness and charm, her laughter brightening small spaces. She was adopted by a charming elderly couple. They had lost all of their children in a car crash.

He had been beside her at their funeral. They died when she was seventeen years old.

She continued her life, using her limited estate funding to remain in their tiny home in Karakura Town. She had met that…boy. And every year she grew more beautiful.

And every year Hisana faded.

Now, standing beside her empty tomb, he felt her presence all around him. The new Hisana possessed the same enveloping warmth that had caressed and walked hand in hand with him for five years of bliss many years ago.

And he was thankful.

Soon he would show her this relic. This culmination, a monument to a long lost love, and now recovered. She was everything that his Hisana had been and more. She was a newer version, but still the same soul.

And she still reached for him.

That morning he had awoken with her head on his arms, her soft hands wrapped around his bicep, her hair strewn like midnight across his silken sheets.

His nightmare had ended. His future was bright.

He turned back towards his home, the sun now high in the sky. He had departed early that morning, before breakfast. He knew that his servants would be placing steaming bowls of cherry blossom water in his suites for his early morning bath.

And he knew that she would be at home, waiting for his return.

And this time, he wouldn't let her leave.

**Lyrics: **

_**The first time ever I saw your face  
I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave  
To the dark and the empty skies, my love,  
To the dark and the empty skies.**_

_**The first time ever I kissed your mouth  
And felt your heart beat close to mine  
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird  
That was there at my command, my love  
That was there at my command.**_

_**And the first time ever I lay with you  
I felt your heart so close to mine  
And I knew our joy would fill the earth  
And last till the end of time my love  
It would last till the end of time my love**_

_**The first time ever I saw your face, your face,  
your face, your face**_


End file.
